


The L Word

by SuccinctDisquisition



Series: The Avengers Assemble in Bed Universe [3]
Category: Avengers, Avengers (Comics), Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Hurt, Liability issues, M/M, Multi, OT5, Polyamory, Relationships are Difficult, future OT6, heights, selfconsciousness, super spies problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 06:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3840772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuccinctDisquisition/pseuds/SuccinctDisquisition
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint has second thoughts because of something his partner said. He could tell when she was lying by now. Too bad deception and lies aren't always interchangeable. </p><p>Nat ends up having to enlist Hulk to do her dirty work. Oh dear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The L Word

It was a relief. It really was something great. Powdery blue eyes could tear up a bit at the wonderful sight and no one would care. Heck, no one would notice. 

Clint slinked back into the shadows between a heavy wardrobe and an expensive chair. He should smile and jump around like a kid on Christmas but he just couldn't. He felt like a poor kid on Christmas with no parents or presents. He felt empty, starving, knowing he would have to steal just to eat. But Clint was tired of stealing. Perhaps he'd just watch. Kids didn't get into trouble for peering into toy stores. Hawkeye was good at watching. He was always watching. 

There was a sight to see before the watcher. Thor was pressed into a high backed armchair by Tony who was kneeling on his thighs, kissing a trail down the side of his throat. Steve grinned at the scene, creeping quietly up on the busy inventor to strike his stuck up rear loudly with a thunder clap. 

Tony sprung upright while the man beneath him gave a boisterous guffaw. "Yow! Easy with the merchandise Birdbrain!" Brown eyes widened as the man faltered on the final word when he realized the man who spanked him was Steve. "What's the big idea Ole Glory?" He whined, rubbing his rump. 

Steve hid his smirk behind a hand. "Just wanted to make Clint proud."

"Where is our Little Hawk?" Thor asked with a furrowed brow. 

"Clint?" The soldier questioned and turned toward said agent when the archer took in a sharp breath. "What are you doing over there? I thought we all agreed about doing this again. You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"

Clint shook his head with a straight face. "No, I was just.... Watching."

"What? Afraid to get your feathers ruffled?" Tony joked. 

The agent breathed a huff of a laugh. "Yeah, something like that. I guess I'm just tired. I'll just call it a night."

"What? No! You were good to go like five minutes ago. What's the deal?" Tony made grabby hands at the distant man like a toddler. 

Thor rumbled along quietly. "Have we offended thee?"

"No, I'm just not in the mood right now."

Steve shifted, looking nervous like a teenager asking a girl to prom. "You don't like us, do you?"

Clint raised his hands peacefully. "No, that's not it at all!"

"Then what's the problem?" Tony asked stiffly. 

Clint shrugged. "It's nothing to do with you guys okay? It's my problem."

"Has your flower wilted, SHEILD brother?"

Tony made a face at the god before turning back to archer. "Look, if your having problems getting it up, we can help with that. I got some shit, you won't even believe."

The younger man flinched at that. "Ew, no. I don't have problems like that. Wait, you do?"

"I'm forty and I own a company. Plus, I used to have sex with all sorts of people. Besides, I'm hard as a rock right now and that is all natural besides being groped by a god and slapped around by Dr. Erskine's version of the Frankenstein monster."

"Enough Tony." Steve ordered, tapping the man's rump again. "What is the problem Clint?"

"It's me, okay? I don't want to be with you without Tasha and I can't be with her anymore. So, I'll just go commune with J and the Doc. It's fine."

"It is not fine Little Hawk. You are troubled and we do not understand."

"Yeah, I thought you were like in love with Nat or something." Tony finished for the Asgardian. 

"I am. I mean, not. She wants you guys and she's right, us together is a liability now." Clint fumbled. 

"But you will not lay with us in her absence." Thor clarified. 

The SHIELD agent threw his hands out in frustration. "It's not like you're missing anything anyway. You've got two perfectly willing humans right there."

"We'll miss you." Steve assured looking as earnest as Thor ever did. "Is there anything we can do?"

Clint shook his head, not looking at the other men. 

He could hear his partner's words echoing in his head. 'I can never think of you when we're together. I wish I could but I can't. I'm sorry Barton. We can talk about it if I ever return home.' Nat had sounded sorry. Home she said. That's what they called it when the two were together. The closest thing to home as either ever had. 

That was two weeks ago and Clint was still feeling self conscious about it. He couldn't make himself stay with the others with the thought in his head that they could not get off thinking about him. Nat couldn't. 

"I'm just a human, nothing you can do about that." Clint pointed out glumly. 

Tony cackled. "So I qualify as a cyborg now? Sweet!"

"Tony." Steve slapped the man's butt again for the outburst. 

"Would you stop that?" The wealthy man whined. 

The soldier grinned. "Only if Clint does it."

The archer crossed his arms. "Why should I?"

"Cause Tony wants you too. Don't you Tony?" Steve taunted. 

The inventor pouted. "Oh go take a nice long nap in the freezer. Of course I want you to spank me Clint. If it gets you to stop acting all pissy then please spank me."

"Aw, he even said please. I'd spank him Clint." Natasha drawled sauntering in to stand next to her partner with a veiled weary look. "So our Little hawk is acting 'pissy' is he?"

"Not now Nat." Clint huffed. 

The redhead pursed her lips. "I'd like to talk to you about what I said before the mission. That's why your being 'pissy' isn't it? Clint, if we're going to be together with the Avengers, we have to talk about it, just us."

Clint shifted away from his partner, his only home. "You may as well say it in front of them too Nat. We might as well get everyone on the same page. Should I go get the Doc too? Could be a medical issue how you can't get off when I-"

"We can't get attached Barton. I was protecting myself. I was protecting you." Natasha said cooly but her partner could read the tight coils of nervous energy wound up inside her, just below her skin. 

Clint gave a short bitter bark of laughter at her proclamation. "You- protecting me. That's rich Natasha. That's rich because you're the one I need protection from. You're my liability. You, Nat. You have been my weakness."

"I know. Clint, I know. You're my liability. I wanted you mad at me incase-"

"Incase of what Natasha?" Clint bellowed. 

The woman retreated into herself making her partner sneer. "Incase I didn't make it home this time."

The archer's knuckles cracked when his fists tightened. "Can the crap! I'm a SHIELD agent. I can tell when you're lying to me. I know you were telling the truth when you left. You hate sleeping with me and you know what Natasha, you really didn't have to ever. We should have called it off ages ago."

"I'm on hold in the Hydra case." Natasha cut in. 

"The Hydra case?" Clint parroted. 

The Russian explained. "That's where I went. That's why I told you before I left. That's why I knew the mission before the briefing. I arranged for it. I had to cut ties before, you know that."

"It was the truth." Clint restated. 

Natasha kept a tight reign on herself while she spoke. "It was. I haven't thought about you during sex since that first time. I couldn't. You were enough of a liability already. I couldn't risk getting any more attached. Believe me, if I could have cut it off between us, I would have."

The archer snorted. "You could have any time. We both know that."

"I couldn't. But it's different now that we're a part of a bigger team. You know that. I want something more Clint. I know it's different for you but for me, I can finally have you as you. I can afford it because the liability won't go anywhere regardless of what I do now. So I can finally have you, if you'll have me." Natasha's tendons stood out minutely. She was scared and she was telling the truth. 

Clint swallowed and glanced at the no longer horny men staring at the pair of agents before turning back to his partner. "You've already got plenty of liability without me Nat. Just take them and leave me out of it."

"You're my favorite liability Barton. I know you understand. Let me finally have you." Natasha begged, stepping closer to the SHIELD man. 

"Bull shit Nat. You may be able to fool the world but you can't fool me. I know when the Black Widow is playing world's best actress. Bravo babe." Clint said slowly clapping sardonically. 

"Clint please!" The Russian agent called out as her partner dodged around her to leave. 

When the door closed, Tony expelled a long held breath. "Well, I officially lost the starch in my pants. How about you, Ole Glory?"

Steve shook his head looking rather pissed at the female SHIELD agent. "Don't make me spank you again, Tony."

Nat swallowed thickly, looking just about ready to cry. "I should have explained it to him before I left."

"Why?" Thor rumbled. "Let us help our hawk brother."

~

Clint was on the ledge outside when he was sought out by the Avenger he least expected. "Hulk find. Now Flappy Bird find." Mean green grunted in his own version of a joke as he sat next to the archer on the clearly unsafe side of the building. It wasn't like Hulk would care much about heights anyhow. 

Clint pulled his windbreaker closer around his neck, kind of wishing he would have picked up a scarf too. "Hey, Jade Jaws. Been missing you around here. Everyone else sucks ass."

Hulk snorted. "Banner sucks ass." 

Clint blinked, realizing that was what he just unintentionally implied. "No, not Bruce. He's alright. He's just, not you." All seeing blue turned to the green giant next to him and saw the almost worry on Hulk's bluff face. 

The biggest Avenger nodded thoughtfully then grunted. "Banner said no till Spider Lady bite him on the foot."

"Say what?"

Hulk brandished a CD case before handing it delicately to the blond. "Banner said no. Hulk say yes because Bird say no."

Clint took the disk as soon as he recognized it and tried to ditch it off the side of the building. Hulk caught his whole arm with just one loosely grasping hand. "I don't want it Hulk." Clint snapped. 

"Hulk take it." Green eyes sparkled with interest in the late afternoon light. 

Clint flipped the case over in his rough fingers once his hand was finally released. "Do you even know what this is?" He asked the slow creature, flicking the case. 

The large male grunted. "Banner want."

The SHIELD agent froze, noticing a slightly darker tinge to the green face above him. The blond swallowed. Of course the genius would know what was going on. The spy wondered whether Bruce had looked on the disk when Nat gave it to him. "Do you want it too Big Guy?"

Green brows furrowed. "Hulk not know how to-" he trailed off with an angry obscure gesture at the disk. 

"Banner could show you how to play it." Clint pointed out. 

"Banner not talk to Hulk." The green skinned creature almost sounded upset by that fact. 

Clint smiled stiffly. "Bruce doesn't talk to a lot of people about stuff. Don't take it personally."

"Banner monster?" Hulk asked hesitantly. The beast related to the scientist more than the other way around. 

Clint felt sorry for Hulk. He really did. "Bruce just doesn't know how to express himself." /Pot calling the kettle black right here./

"Hulk want." The green male made a vague gesture at the disk or Clint or maybe both. 

Clint smiled weakly. "At this point, I'm about ready to take you up on that offer. Hang the consequences."

Hulk grinned before looking sad. "Too bad Banner smart."

Clint nodded. He wasn't sure the big male even knew about sex but Hulk knew he wanted what the others had. It could just be childish jealousy though. "Yeah. If Tony does find a safe way for us to be together. You- want to?" The human hazarded. 

Hulk frowned and stood hurriedly. "Watch!" He commanded with a stern finger directed at the CD. 

Clint blinked when his friend hustled away. Did he seriously get rejected by primal reaction man? The agent sighed and stood. Flipping the case carelessly in the air with one hand. He whistled the Andy Griffith theme on his way back to his room. He took the exterior entrance to avoid coming across the others and put his room under lock down before settling down in the eaves to watch the homemade movie. Needless to say, he was spent by the end of the video. 

~

"Not fair, sending Jade Jaws." He nudged his partner with a shoulder. Nat just frowned at him. If she were anyone else, she would be crying, he knew. Since she was the Black Widow, Nat just blinked slowly like she did not comprehend. Clint licked his lips. "I get it. Cutting ties so it would hurt less if you didn't come back."

"I knew you would see through me so I needed something true." She spoke softly. 

Clint nodded. "You didn't want to fall in love with me so you pretended I was someone else. Classy."

Nat gave him a small broken genuine smile. "I didn't know we would both be compromised regardless of my decision."

Clint smiled and nudged her shoulder with his own again. "You're my L word, Natasha."

Nat's smile broadened. "You're my love too, Clint."

Clint gave her a disturbed expression. "I was talking about liability. Dunno what you're getting at."

Natasha nudged him back harder than he had been. "I'm not taking it back Barton."

He grinned as he pressed his forehead against hers. This whole polygamy thing kind of worked for them. He certainly was determined to enjoy it.

**Author's Note:**

> If Anyone is interested in a Work in Progress teaser, let me know. I have been working on a stand alone Drabble for it but I am not sure if I should post it yet. I may wait until a later chapter or until the end. Eh. Thanks for reading everyone. Let me know what you think, if you so desire.


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